NPAction Update
Vol 2, Issue 11
5/25/2004

Welcome to this week's edition of the NPAction Update.

You are receiving this newsletter as requested during your registration with NPAction.org. To unsubscribe, send an email to npaction@npaction.org.


In this issue:
*What's New- E-Filing 990s and How Not to Hire Development Staff*
*Current Poll- Your Lobbying Law Knowledge*
*Featured Article- Nonprofit Lobbying FAQ*
*Featured Resource Links- Taxes and Contracts*
*Hey, You Asked- Parent Teacher Organizations and Elections*



*What's New*

An obscure milestone for the nonprofit community has just passed. May 17th was the first filing deadline for form 990 when filing could be done over the web. In the Nonprofit Online News, Putnam Barber discusses the delights of e-filing, the progress that's been made, and the work that still needs to be done.

"Breakthroughs in Electronic Filing for Nonprofits"
http://news.gilbert.org/2004eFiling


Charity Channel recently published a humorous, but insightful article by Gayle Gifford on the worst reasons for selecting a director of development. As many organizations grow, they feel the need to add a development director in order to free up staff time. Finding an effective development person to raise funds for an organization can be critical, especially for those groups working in difficult-to-fund areas such as advocacy. This article can help those looking to hire a development director avoid some common mistakes.

"Ten worst reasons for selecting your Director of Development"
http://charitychannel.com/article_10912.shtml



*Current Poll*

This week, we ask about your (or your organization's) knowledge level when it comes to nonprofit lobbying laws. Vote on this week's poll, continuously displayed on the right hand side of the site (just don't try to vote twice!!)

The results are in from last issue's poll, and 100% of you have never engaged in any sort of election-related activity. We'll have to work harder to increase our readership among 501(c)(4)s!

Here's your chance to ask a question you've wanted to ask other nonprofits, but couldn't figure out how. Send your idea for a poll question
to npaction@npaction.org.

Past Poll Results http://www.npaction.org/article/archive/207



*Featured Article*

When it comes to lobbying many organizations have a vague sense of what is allowed and disallowed, yet, in certain situations the legal lines can become blurred. We have compiled and written answers to questions regarding the legality of specific circumstances for this week's featured article. The questions cover issues ranging from general nonprofit lobbying to more esoteric matters involving lobbying and foreign governments, lobbying and the media, and lobbying with federal funds.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nonprofit Lobbying
http://www.npaction.org/article/articleview/429/1/169/

Remember that you can rate and comment on most NPAction articles by clicking the "New Comment" button at the end of an article.



*Featured Resource Links*

The NPAction Resource Links Directory is a human-edited compendium of tools and references contributed by nonprofits for nonprofits.

Our first resource link comes directly from the IRS, where nonprofits can get all sorts of tax information, as well as news and technical guidance. This is a handy link to check a few times a year, especially at the beginning and end of the tax year.

Tax Information for Charities & Other Non-Profits
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/charities/index.html


Because much of the discussion around government funding focuses on federal and state money, organizations often cannot find help on how to deal with funding from local governments. The downloadable guide linked below covers many aspects of local funding, from accountability to the differences between contracts with nonprofits and for-profits. There is also a special section on funding faith-based charities.

"Local Government Contractswith Nonprofit Organizations: Questions and Answers"
http://www.nonprofit-gov.unc.edu/pdf/brown-graham_f.pdf


More links on laws and regulations:
http://www.npaction.org/link/category/202/

Suggest a Resource Link
http://www.npaction.org/link/suggestlink



*"Hey, You Asked"*

Jim Yavorsky asks: "Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) are nonprofits that often meet at schools that are also polling places. PTOtoday.com has advocated for holding meetings on election days as a way to get voters who would vote "yes" on school budgets to polling places. Isn't this akin to holding a political rally at the polling site? Is this legal?"

The short answer is yes, but the full answer is a little more complex.

It is not legal to advocate for or against anything on a ballot at the actual "polling place" (and often for a set distance around the polling place), but definitions of "polling place" vary. It is perfectly legal, however, to hold a political rally of any type outside of what is legally considered to be a "polling place. Assuming that the meeting is taking place outside of what is legally considered to be the "polling place," it is perfectly legal, and the PTO can even encourage attendees to vote for or against a ballot measure. And don'[t forget that charities are forbidden to advocate for or against a specific candidate running for office.

Even if the meeting is taking place in the area considered to be the "polling place," it can still be legal but there can be no explicit mention of any issues on the ballot. Attendees can be encouraged to go vote, however.

For the full answer, head over to the "Hey, You Asked" forum, and while you're there check out answers to past questions:
http://www.npaction.org/forum/messagelist/169/

To ask a question for the experts behind "Hey, You Asked" go to:
http://www.npaction.org/forum/messagelist/170



*"Steal This Code": Put NPAction on Your Site*

NPAction invites organizations to share our tools on their websites. Choose a logo that best meets your needs, whether you want to link to our site, incorporate our search engine with results from a range of nonprofit sources, add the ability to connect to federal lawmakers and national media, or state-level policymakers and media. Just copy the HTML code from our site, and you're ready to go (but when you steal the code, just let us know!).

"Steal the Code" today
http://www.npaction.org/article/archive/208


*NPAction Update Archives*
http://www.npaction.org/article/archive/210/


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NPAction, an online resource hosted by OMB Watch, provides access to tools and information for nonprofit advocacy from a wide range of organizational partners and sources in order to encourage greater participation by nonprofits in the policy arena. Funding for this project was provided by Atlantic Philanthropies, the Ford Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation.

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